The Clippers debuted a streaming service last year. For tickets in their new arena, they’ve been inspired by a streaming model too.
Appearing on Paul George’s podcast, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer talked about his ambitious plans for the team’s new arena, opening for the 2024-25 season. Part of that is rethinking the idea of season tickets entirely.
“We’re working on what I’d call a ‘season pass’ instead of a season ticket,” Ballmer explained, with the caveat that he didn’t think he was actually allowed to talk about the plan yet. “You buy a season ticket, you sell it if you’re not going to the game. I don’t like that. That’s how you get all the evil other team’s fans in our building.”
Ballmer has been vocal about trying to end the Clippers’ status as the secondary team to the Lakers in Los Angeles. That’s a big reason why the Clippers are moving out of the Crypto.com Arena and into their own building, the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. Part of that is keeping opposing fans out.
The new season pass would allow ticket holders to share with three to four people, “like a Netflix account.” Ballmer considers it a cheaper alternative, with the upside of avoiding the re-sale market.
It’s not the first time the Clippers have gone to a Netflix model. Last year, they debuted ClipperVision, a $109/year service that lets fans watch all 82 games, plus “augmented reality and interactivity.” There’s no word on whether Ballmer and the Clippers will crack down on people sharing ClipperVision passwords, like Netflix did.
They’re also making a dramatic viewing experience in the arena, with Ballmer boasting about the Intuit Dome’s “acre of scoreboard.”
The season pass model may be coming to the NBA. It shouldn’t be a surprise that that’s coming from a team that plays near Hollywood.
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